1 . Avoid These Mistakes in Your Social Interaction
Breaking into an existing conversation
Timing is everything. If you see two or more people actively engaged in conversation, they’re probably not ready for you to cut in. First, wait for a rest.
Starting talking without having something to say
If someone appears distant or lost in thought, moving into their personal space and saying “hello” is hardly a way to start a conversation. Try asking permission (e.g., “Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you something?”) and make sure you have a fully formed question or comment in mind (e.g., “Are you having a good time?”).
Bringing up controversial(有争议的) topics
If you’re talking to someone new, it’s generally best not to talk about weighty or of-putting topics.
Once you’ve made a connection with each other, keep that connection going by making yourself easy to understand. If you speak different languages, for example, slow your speech and pronounce clearly. If they ask you what you do for work, don’t use a lot of technical expressions.
Talking too much about yourself - or about the other person
It’s often said that people love to talk about themselves, and that asking questions is the secret to good conversations.
| A．Being hard to follow |
| B．Making too much connection |
| C．But that’s not true for everyone |
| D．They will lead to a deeper interaction |
| E．Then once you have someone’s attention or receive a nonverbal go-ahead |
| F．Aim for something simple that you and the other person can observe together |
| G．It’s all about creating a comfortable opportunity for the other person to respond |
| A．Friends. | B．Boss and employee. | C．Salesman and customer. |
3 . Handwritten thank-you letters are such a simple way of making other people feel good, it is strange that so few people write them anymore. At work, a thank-you letter to employees is unbelievably effective. It costs little and has no side effects. The effort involved in writing letters very low. The pleasure on receiving them is very high.
Doug Conant, manager of Campbell’s Soup Company since 2001, knows the power of thank you letters. He said that every day he works with an assistant, searching the company for people deserving thanks.
In these days of such busy schedules and people running all over the place and trying to get ahead, sometimes we forget the simplest things in life are the most powerful and rewarding. You need to think to yourself about a time someone sent you a thank-you and how much it meant to you.
| A．He then writes them a thank-you letter. |
| B．Why are thank-you letters so important? |
| C．You may ask what side effects exactly mean. |
| D．This makes them an excellent way to reward and motivate staff. |
| E．But if these letters are so inspiring, why don’t more managers write them? |
| F．Always remember to “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you!” |
| G．Since no one ever writes them thank-you letters they don’t write any themselves. |
4 . It’s often recommended to befriend the enemy, but high school freshman Xavier Staubs did more than that. He saved his life.
At a swim meet, the 15-year-old boy rescued a
His
At lunchtime, Xavier learned the congressman was coming to meet him. Moolenaar wanted to
“We heard the story about what he had done. The more I learned about it, the more I thought we really wanted to praise what he did,” the Congressman told CNN.
“Usually, you heard bad outcomes and
She arrived at the meet five minutes after the rescue happened. Something in her mind told her that her son was somehow
Staubs said she tries to raise her children like what her grandmother did. And Xavier performing such a
Xavier is not only a great swimmer but also a dancer, band member and a straight-A student. And now, a hero.
1.| A．classmate | B．competitor | C．volunteer | D．stranger |
| A．took off | B．put off | C．moved off | D．started off |
| A．performing | B．competing | C．drowning | D．training |
| A．doubt | B．admission | C．preparation | D．hesitation |
| A．Unluckily | B．Fortunately | C．Sadly | D．Honestly |
| A．inspiring | B．moving | C．heroic | D．modest |
| A．observed | B．respected | C．encouraged | D．recognized |
| A．present | B．react | C．deserve | D．judge |
| A．amusing | B．upset | C．pleasant | D．surprising |
| A．example | B．incident | C．relief | D．event |
| A．as for | B．as though | C．even though | D．now that |
| A．Therefore | B．Otherwise | C．Besides | D．However |
| A．pleased | B．surprised | C．delighted | D．puzzled |
| A．involved | B．threatened | C．influenced | D．endangered |
| A．determined | B．generous | C．selfless | D．devoted |
But new research suggests it may be down to a subconscious（潜意识的）power struggle being played out as you make your way up or down.
A study found that people decide where they stand based on a micro social grading, established within seconds of entering the lift.
Rebekah Rousi, a Ph.D. student in Cognitive Science, conducted a study of elevator behavior in two of the tallest office buildings in Adelaide, Australia.
As part of her research, she took a total of 30 lift rides in the two buildings, and discovered there was an established order to where people tended stand.
In a blog, she writes that more senior men seemed to direct themselves towards the back of the elevator cabins.
She said: 'In front of them were younger men, and in front of them were women of all ages.'
She also noticed there was a difference in where people directed their stare half way through the ride.
Men watched the monitors(监控器), looked in the side mirrors (in one building) to see themselves, and in the door mirrors (of the other building) to also watch others.
'Women would watch the monitors and avoid eye contact with other users (unless in conversation) and the mirrors,' she writes.
The student concluded it could be that people who are shyer stand toward the front, where they can't see other passengers, whereas brave people stand in the back, where they have a view of everyone else.
1. According to Rebekah Rousi, senior men intend to stand ______ of the elevator cabins.
| A．in the front | B．in the middle |
| C．near the side mirrors | D．at the back |
| A．senior men | B．younger women |
| C．younger men | D．Women |
| A．Because they are too shy to make eye contact with others. |
| B．Because they can have a view of everyone else. |
| C．Because they want to show their power. |
| D．Because they want to watch the monitors. |
6 . One of the easiest things in the world is to become a fault-finder. However, life can be
Several years ago I
Unfortunately, it took a horrible accident to change her
Perhaps most of us aren’t as extreme at fault-finding,
Train yourself to ＂bite your tongue＂, and with a little
| A．lonely | B．great | C．quiet | D．uneasy |
| A．received | B．answered | C．expected | D．rejected |
| A．threatened | B．interrupted | C．bothered | D．spoiled |
| A．anything | B．everything | C．something | D．nothing |
| A．caring | B．boring | C．interesting | D．surprising |
| A．attitude | B．plan | C．measure | D．explanation |
| A．urgent | B．unnecessary | C．certain | D．impossible |
| A．occasion | B．event | C．accident | D．adventure |
| A．memory | B．notice | C．evidence | D．choice |
| A．hear | B．contribute | C．express | D．admit |
| A．aware of | B．afraid of | C．curious about | D．confused about |
| A．discuss | B．realize | C．judge | D．settle |
| A．family | B．life | C．career | D．education |
| A．so | B．or | C．but | D．for |
| A．proud | B．sure | C．hopeful | D．critical |
| A．face | B．create | C．solve | D．ignore |
| A．rarer | B．better | C．stranger | D．worse |
| A．at least | B．at last | C．by far | D．so far |
| A．task | B．deal | C．result | D．duty |
| A．practice | B．speech | C．rest | D．pity |
